Past Lives: The Wars of Scottish Independence
by Jet556
Summary: From 1296 to 1603, there was bitter war between England and Scotland over Scotland's independence. However, as both kingdoms become more weak and unstable Scotland lost the moral ground as the war-loving Scots took as much advantage of England as the conquest-happy English did of Scotland. So the question is for the Scots: is it even about independence anymore?
1. ACT I

**Dramatis Personae**

 **The Scottish**

The Bruce Robert, Earl of Carrick (Randy's past life)

The Beautiful Isabella (Theresa's past life)

The Invulnerable Hugh (Howard's past life)

The Wily Simon (Stevens' past life)

 **The English**

The First Edward, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports (Niall's past life)

The Treacherous John, Earl of Surrey (Ken's past life)

 **Setting:** Britain, 1449. It has been one hundred and one years since the First war of Scottish Independence ended and ninety-two years since the Second War of Scottish Independence ended. It is now the third War of Scottish Independence, known as the "Anglo-Scottish Wars", with both countries trying to take advantage of the weakness and instability of the others. The days of the Edwards who kept England strong and stable and protected them from the war-loving Scots are past just as the days of the House of Bruce who kept Scotland strong and stable and safe from the conquest-happy English are past.

 **ACT I**

 _Scene I_

 _An open place._

It seemed there was always war on the isle of Britain. That was fine for the Scots who loved it and so Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick, named after the most famous member of his clan wondered if it was really worth it. His cousin James II of Scotland, descended from a grandson of King Robert, was all to eager for war but he was very popular with the people but he was quite weak.

With Isabella, his dearest friend, Robert sat upon the open place in thought. Thoughts of the English came to him. No longer was the moral high ground with Scots, they were no more moral than the English. Who had taken advantage of the other's weakness and instability this time? It didn't really matter.

The last strong English king had been Edward III, now there had been a worthy opponent! It was the kings who had followed him that had become weak. His grandsons Richard II and Henry IV, the latter's son Henry V and now his son Henry VI were all weak and the Scots were not much better. Robert II, Robert III, James I and now James II… Why were the inhabitants of this isle being plagued by weak kings? The last strong King of Scotland had been David II.

"It's no longer about independence, Isabella." Said Robert. "It will never be about independence again."

 _Scene II_

 _A camp near Forres._

For Hugh there could have been nothing better than to fight. He did not care at all about who had the moral high ground all he cared about was fighting. As he walked through the camp with Simon, Hugh spoke with him.

"What do I care about morals?" asked Hugh. "We learned to fight so we could kill people! I'm here to kill people and win everlasting glory!"

"Yes, and if you should die it will be up to me to lead us." Stated Simon. "The English of Lord Warden Edward I of the Cinque Ports and Earl John of Surrey coming to fight us."

"Edward and John?" asked Hugh. "Those two? Edward is just a claimant to the title that belongs to 1st Baron James Fiennes Saye and Sele as is John to…"

"Surrey hasn't had a ruler in fifty years." Stated Simon. "And is he not believed to be in love with your sister?"

"My sister?" asked Hugh. "If such a union were to happen I'd kill the child that would come of it! I will not have Scots marrying English and I will have my sword bloodied!"


	2. ACT II

**ACT II**

 _Scene I._

 _Inverness castle's court._

To some of the Scots, the subject of morality could not have bothered them. Hugh was only interested in killing them, for being believed to be invulnerable, he had nothing to fear and could kill all he liked. Robert however was of a different mind. He preferred to have the moral high ground and so he wondered who the offender was this time.

So, in Inverness castle did these two meet! With Isabella and Simon present to witness this, they could attest that these who had once been friends were certainly now enemies.

"Good day to you, worthy, combatant." Greeted Robert.

"I'll hear no talk from you, Robert!" responded Hugh. "You are weak with what is called morals. I am like William Wallace! I am not interested in independence. I am only interested in slaying children, defiling women and burning abbeys!"

"Well then it was that Edward Longshanks had that villain hanged, drawn and quartered!" exclaimed Robert. "It appalls me that he is even considered a true Scotsman!"

"If you praise Longshanks' execution of Wallace then you are a traitor!" exclaimed Hugh.

"It is not a proclamation of betrayal to say a villainous man was a villain." Countered Robert.

Hugh drew his sword and would have charged at Robert had Isabella not stepped between her dear friend and that second coming of the barbaric Wallace. The text says 'barbaric' because that is indeed what William Wallace being nothing more but a glorified murderer and defiler. Edward I of England may have expelled the Jews from England but that was an act of charity in those days, what could William Wallace's acts of murder and defilement possibly have counted as that Scottish historians would turn a blind eye to them?


	3. ACT III

**ACT III**

 _Scene I._

 _Forrses. A room in the palace._

To say that the concept of morality was hated by Hugh would be an understatement. He considered morality to be a weakness and so in the room of the palace at Forres, he and Simon spoke with one another of what to do about the moralistic Bruce.

"If we don't get rid of him he will turn every man under our command away from the fighting!" exclaimed Hugh.

"We have no men under our command." Stated Simon. "We have no titles and thus we have no men to command. We are his to command, no matter how you might not like it."

"He is only the Earl of Carrick until he there is someone of the royal line to give it to." Stated Hugh. "As if a prince could not be born soon enough."

"Accidents do happen." Said Simon. "With the cannons don't you think we could arrange an accident? With King James enthusiastically promoting this modern artillery every force in Scotland has one. Suppose one was to kill Robert?"

"Ah…" Hugh placed a hand on his chin happily. "Now here is a plan that has merit! But how should this happen?"

"Arrange for it to explode!" Simon gave a most sinister smile. "It is all in that black powder not the tube of metal after all!"

Hugh laughed. He laughed a laugh most sinister. "Now here is something that works most excellently! Why have the possibility of people witnessing our murder of him when we can just arrange for a little accident. History will think it be an accident that killed him but we will take the truth to our graves. Robert shall die!"


	4. ACT IV

**ACT IV**

 _Scene I_

 _A Cavern._

Alone in the dark did Hugh stab at a severed arm. He was bored and if he were to go around killing his fellow Scots, he'd probably end up with a rope around his neck. He was not a noble and thus he probably would end up beneath the ground.

But yet he wondered what he had to fear. Was he not invulnerable? He could not be killed! When all was done he would still be living this year while Robert lay dead from an accident with one of the cannons.

To think that those two could ever be friends in past lives or would be friends in future lives was hard to believe. The fact it that they would be friends in some lives but not in all of them!

 _Scene II_

 _Fife Castle._

Walking across the battlements, Robert and Isabella spoke with one another. They spoke of many things: the coming conflict, morality, love and of course the question if this was even about independence anymore.

"Can it still be about independence if were are just trying to take advantage of England's current weakness?" asked Robert.

"I doubt it was ever about independence." Stated Isabella. "Edward Longshanks wanted to annex Scotland, would that not have unified this isle in someway? He was King of England, conqueror of Wales… I suppose our ancestors were too stupid to realize what Longshanks would have accomplished. He would have done something his son and grandson never could have done. We are Scottish and they are English but we are all British."

"You are right, Isabella." Agreed Robert. "As much as I know it is my duty to defend Scotland, I regret having to fight my fellow Britons. We were all born on this isle and fighting each other is something I wish we did not have to do. Even on Ireland they are divided be they Gael or Norman they are all Irish. Brothers and sisters should never have to kill each other, especially when the concept of morality has been thrown away just so more blood can be needlessly spilled.

 _Scene III_

 _London Castle._

Standing upon the drawbridge, Edward and John both stared at each other. So this was the companion of the other. They had both been expecting someone different. Edward was the first in his family to bear the name of those great kings and John was always three steps ahead of his enemies. They were well deserving of being called the first Edward and the treacherous John.

"Do you think your self worthy of your name?" asked John.

"I know not." Replied Edward. "Six kings of this honorable name have come and gone before my time was even anticipated. Edward the Elder, Edward the Martyr, Edward the Confessor who is the namesake of good Longshanks as well as the patron saint of royal family. Our royal family! Our kings! Once the patron saint of England itself! I think not that I be worthy of my name. Is the brave Scot Robert worthy of being named after his worthy ancestor who was honored opponent to Longshanks and his son after him? I know not."

"Yes." John scratched his chin. "You think of your name and I shall think of my Scottish love."

"You would really marry Scot?" asked Edward.

"Is it not written that Saint Margaret of Scotland, Malcolm III's wife, was a Saxon princess who was granddaughter to our Edmund Ironside, descendant of Alfred the Great? What would make this any different?"

"We are at war with Scotland." Stated Edward. "You could be forced to flee the isle."

"I think not." Stated John. "Henry's domains consist of Aquitaine, England, half of Ireland and France. James only rules Scotland. All we need do is flee to Wales. Wales has no prince at the moment. We would be safe."

"Then I wish you two happiness." Said Edward. "I pray you will live to see such happiness."


	5. ACT V

**ACT V**

 _Scene I_

 _Dunsinane Castle_

When the day of the battle came, a most shocking turn of events happened as a cannonball took off Hugh's head putting an end to the myth of his invulnerability once and for all. As for Simon, he had been killed by the very cannon that had been meant to kill Robert.

Needless to say, the English won. A fine punishment for the Scots who had all but forgotten when they had done this in the name of independence! But in truth it had never been in the name of independence. The Scots and Welsh were against unification but Edward Longshanks had been forced into conquest by the fools and because of those fools the noble Edward Longshanks has become viewed as a villain when indeed he was a hero. He would have unified an isle divided but the war-loving Scots and the restless Welsh prevented that from ever happening. The Scots who had said it had been about independence had been lying to themselves, they had been against unification and because of that they eventually devolved into honorless curs trying to take advantage of England as it grew weaker and less stable just as the English had when they forgot about their mission of unification, which happened not long after the death of Edward III.

Thus, sitting alone Robert did hold a sword close to him. The bodies of the dead were all around him and he was only able to think of how this all started with his people being against unification. Standing up, Robert left the castle and walked to a lake. There he did hurl his sword into the water.

"Let the day when we shall be unified come!" he said. "Be it by an English king becoming King od Scotland or a Scottish king becoming King of England let it come! I have had enough of lies of independence, enough of taking advantage, enough of war!"

 **THE END**


End file.
